The trek officially starts in Bluff on Feb 22nd. We're really excited about doing this and can't wait to get cracking. Kiwirob (aka 'Dad') will be driving a David Brown 990 kindly loaned to us by Maurice and Trish Short. (Shown below.)

If you happen to see a convoy of tractors on the road around the South Island between Feb 22nd and March 16 give us a wave and don't be afraid to stop for a chat.

And of course... you will need to stop... to take your gloves off... so you can unzip your pocket... pull out your wallet... and hand over any monies you happen to have on or about your person

It's going to be a fun trip for a great cause, and we can't wait to get started!!.

peet

*Although it's still a 'ride' as it's not on a bike i've been told it can't go in the ride reports section, but should be ok in here.

I've been busy pfaffing with the 'support vehicle'. We've built an internal shelf, which will hold a fridge/freezer (so our refreshments don't get cold ), fitted a UHF CB radio, and about to bolt on a honking great big roof rack...

I'm hoping to get some sign-writing done and will post photo's when finished.

Wasn't some of your mob parked up just south of Kawatiri last monday was it ? Saw some old tractors with caravans @ a rest area, looked like they were settled in for the night. I gave a toot just in case

Wasn't some of your mob parked up just south of Kawatiri last monday was it ? Saw some old tractors with caravans @ a rest area, looked like they were settled in for the night. I gave a toot just in case

Click to expand...

I have nooooo idea.

People are coming from all over the country. I guess a few could be thier way south already.

We've been busy loading up the car getting ready for the trip. We leave Gisborne tommorrow, heading to near the start line in Bluff over the next 3 days. (The forcast for the ferry crossing tommorrow night doesn't look very nice... )

Just to raise the profile a bit more, we got some signs made up for the Prado.

We thought it might also help explain to anyone who gets stuck behind us what we're up to.

We had a few stops and starts. Sorting out leccy gremlins with the fridge wiring. A bank here.. petrol station there... But we decided to munch as many k's today as (reasonably and comfortably) possible.

Today we left Balfour for the start line in Bluff. 8 Tractors left at 10:30.

We had our first breakdown at 10:53... (loose wheel nuts.. easily sorted)

We drove 115k's at roughly 25 kph... on the straights we got up to about 30-ish. (woohoo!)

The weather was great. (I think we all got a bit burned on the way down...)

Pilot vehicle (1923 Dennis)

Trish

Maria

Rob

Robin

Noel

Peter

Lorraine

And tail end charlie (Maurice) Towing the 'Love shack'

We're staying in the camping ground, (actually the camping ground was full, so we stayed in the park next to the camping ground) we pitched our tent, and watched the other tractors roll in. At 6:00pm we had the drivers breifing and discussed the plan for tommorow and went over the trek rules for the road.

There's supposed to be 35 tractors leaving from Bluff tommorrow, I think we have about 25 here tonight.

Good luck guys. Looks like you are having a bit of fun. Should post a link of this thread to my old being an ex farmer from south canterbury. He started out on Farmals, then Nuffields, Massey Fergisons and lastly (just before we sold the farm) a Ford 6610 which was just a big version of the 4600 in your fleet.

We still have a Fergie TEA in the shed (middle of Chch) that we mean to fix up a little one day for him. We should have done it for this run!

The day started bright and early. With the entire camp being woken by the alarm clock. at 6:00am. The alarm clock in our case is a 1936 Lanz Bulldog which fired up and did several laps of the camp ground tooting his whistle.

<vid>

Everyone got moving and left at the camp at 7:00am for the starting location at stirling point. We managed to squeeze all of the starters in the turning bay and watched the sun rise over Foveaux straight.

We got to meet a couple of the special little characters that we're fun raising for. This is Reece. Reece is a happy story. He's in remission, and doing well. He reckoned he was well enough to come to the start of the Tractor Trek for the send off.... and he was well enough to go to water polo that night.... but told his mum it would be a big day so.. maybe he shouldn't go to school.

Reeces mum knows Reece better than that. Reece went to school.

</vid>We were given a send-off by National MP Eric Roy,
<vid>

One more wave at the camera and we're off!!!

After the send off, it was time to fire up and get rolling. It's kinda entertaining watching 35 tractors get moving with gusto. It's like watching turtles escape from a bucket.

(I'll upload a movie here when I get a faster connection).

We headed back to the camp ground and picked up trailers and caravans, and set off for Invercargill, where breakfast was cooked for us by the staff of our major sponsor RD1. (A big thank you to the staff at RD1)

This is Maddox, I thin he's about 4 years old. Maddox had a brain tumour successfully removed, and is doing well. He is so good he was showing everyone how fit and strong he is now by doing pushups.

After breakfast, we were given a police escort through the main street of Invercargill, and out onto state highway 1. I found myself walking with a bucket, relieving pedestrians (and people stuckin cars) of those troublesome gold and silver pocket weights. And then I found the tractors and support vehicles had steamed off, and I was running like hell down the street to catch up...

Once out of town we hit the big straights out of invercargill, where the tractors could really open up... the fatsre ones sometimes hitting a heady 30 k's!!! Now the convoy was really rockin!

The convoy made it's way to Gore for lunch, where again we were looked after by the staff at RD1. We've noticed a bit of oil coming out of Dads Tractor... need to look at that...

After lunch we set off for our stop for the night at Tapanui where we camped at the Tapanui racecourse, and had dinner cooked byt he local vintage club. 3 BBQ's in one day... I'm in heaven!!!! ( but I'm gonna get fat(ter) doing this...)

After dinner there was a bit of debreif and discussion about how the day went. A couple of fines where issued for driving infringements such as stopping in the middle of the road and holding up cars. ($2, but no demerit points)

Then it was down to some serious chin wagging and driver refueling. Some slipped away for a shower and early night. This doesn't sound strenous work, but we were all exhausted and ready to hit the sack.

Others decide it was a good time to pull the tappet cover off and fix the leaking oil problem...

choke off the gallery.

The 990 was over oiling the top end... the solution was make a small wooden plug to partially

Another early start... (Well anything before 10 is early for me...) We were up at 6:00am and fumbling about in the dark for the kettle. We got to see the sun rise as we packed up our kit and had a quick brekky.

The convoy left at 7:30 for Millers flat where they're having morning tea at a school. The kids at the school raiased $77.60 for the trek.

and then they're going cross country to Lake Onslow for lunch.

Tonight we're staying in Patearoa.

Note: I'm having a few problems getting mobile coverage out in the sticks. So i'm going to be a bit sporadic writing updates, and even worse loading photo's. (i'm sitting at Dunedin Aiport waiting for Jess so I thought i'd make the most of the cellphone coverage.)

I left my camera with Mum today. So, I hope she gets some good shots. Will update again when I have some coverage, and load photo's.